Where in Campbell Do Motorists/Bicyclists Feel Unsafe?

A fatal bicycle versus car collision along San Tomas Expressway Tuesday got residents talking about safety in the Orchard City.

Two long-time bicyclists Bill Wright, 72, and Mike Shannon, 70, are regulars at Orchard Valley Coffee. The two ride three to four times a week, between 20 and 40 miles all around the South Bay. They almost always end their rides in Campbell.

"Probably one of the trickiest spots in Campbell that I know of is at the lightrail stop on Railway," Wright says. "It's kind of confusing to us. You can go left, straight or right so we're not sure where we should be in that particular place so a lot of times we are behind cars, in between cars, slowing them down."

Campbell Patch asked its Facebook Page readers this question: 

This question is to all the cyclists in town: where do you feel most safe in Campbell and where are things a little more dicey? To motorists: same question.

Railway Avenue, Campbell Avenue and the Highway 17 underpass were all areas in town that residents voiced frustration over.

Below are a few of the responses we received.

Do you agree? Disagree? Add your perspective in the comments below.

As a motorist, I am constantly frustrated by people who either lack the understanding of what a "yield" sign means or who choose to ignore it altogether. The exit from San Tomas onto Winchester South is a constant area of frustration. Almost no one yeilds to oncoming traffic from Winchester. It drives me insane. I've noticed the same trend on other roads, usually limited to Campbell. --Ami Bruce 

^^^^ Hit the nail on the head....and bleeding cyclists who ride on the sidewalk downtown, despite the signs prohibiting it... --Dave Molloy 

Light rail crossing in downtown Campbell is pretty annoying, causes traffic everyday during commuter hours....but that's pretty minor compared to what Ami is talking about. That overpass is a mess. --Jimmy Hill 

I like the Los gatos creek trail for biking. No cars!--Amanda Jo Fisk 

I think if bicyclists followed the rules of the road (stopping at lights, stop signs, etc) then cars would be more likely to respect and share the road, as they usually demand. Give respect to get it. Two lane roads without dedicated bike lanes are NOT safe for bicyclists. They may have the right to ride there, but it still doesn't make it safe to do so.--Adam Herbel 

As a cyclist, the Winchester/San Tomas interchange in either direction is pretty dicey. Also getting between downtown and the 17 overpass- there is no bike lane for a section and very little room. Bikes can't always avoid roads with no bike lanes. We do seek out the safest route possible to get where we are going, but until every road has a bike lane, there will be times when we must share limited space with cars.--Vikki Essert 

Campbell Patch previously ran this series on bicycling in Campbell that discusses routes and safety.

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